The Transformation is Forever

Booker: The highlight of my Marine Corps career is actually turning a recruit into a Marine. The transformation is really an amazing thing to see.

Anderson: Being a Marine is something more than just saying you're a Marine. You have to earn it. It's not given.

Carter: When I left Parris Island I walked tall, my shoulders were rolled back, head and eyes straight to the front, and there was nothing in the world that I didn't think I could accomplish when I left the Motivated Island as we call it.

Lake: When you get through the gates and you start thinking to yourself what have I done? But the transformation has begun at that point and you know that something different, something incredible is about to happen to you.

Singleton: I don't think I really got more comfortable with the idea of him being a Marine until I got him back from Boot Camp. And he was a changed man.

Singleton: Just the transformation of just not only his appearance but his attitude towards life, attitude towards his family.

Shaw: He just has a confident air about him that he didn't have before. He seems very sure of who he is.

Stigall: After he joined the Marines he seemed to have a sense of direction, a sense of self, more self worth. It was immediately noticed, and when he put the uniform on, oh you saw it. It was—you saw it.

Colon: The Marine Corps has changed me for the better. It brought me in, taught me that if you work hard, you know that you'll accomplish great things.

Vines: It's definitely given me a lot more stability in my life, taught me a lot about leadership and dealing with other people. I'd say there's a lot of changes and maturity.

Franklin: The transformation extends beyond just the physical as well. As you grow in the Marine Corps you gain more responsibility. There's so much more that you've got to do, and it's just a continual push to keep going and keep going.

Paul: It wasn't just about the six years that I served. It's about how it changed me forever. The trans-formative experience it was for me, for the rest of my life I'll always be a Marine.

Von Kuhn: Everything that you do in the Marine Corps will transition with you. The training that you get, the demands that it requires of you will stick with you forever, and they'll be applied in all aspects of life.